The Africa Centre for Peace Building (Peace Centre) and its partners have begun processes to mobilise resources to support the poor and other vulnerable persons who are being affected by the ongoing lockdown in Ghana as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The partial lockdown has come with its serious economic effect on the poor in particular which threatens their peace and existence.
The Africa Centre for Peace Building in partnership with URI West Africa-Nigeria, Senyo Global, AM Network and the Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation-Nigeria has therefore launched the Ghana COVID-19 Relief Support Project – “ghanacovid19.org” to help mobilize the needed resources from home and abroad to relieve the poor families and individuals who are not able to store food and other essentials for their survival in the wake of the two weeks lockdown. Individuals and organisations can now visit www.ghanacovid19.org to make donations in support of the needy.
A statement signed by Mr. Korsi Senyo, Executive Director Africa Centre for Peace Building noted that the support would prevent people from going against the social distancing order and other COVID-19 precautionary measures outlined by the President of Ghana and other stakeholders to curtail the spread of the virus.
“The Africa Centre for Peace Building (Peace Centre) has taken note of the economic devastating effect of the global panic on Ghanaians especially the poor, displaced and distressed families whose livelihoods largely depends on their daily movements”.
Adding that, “We have acknowledged the fact that one of the measures to stop community infection and transmission of the deadly novel coronavirus is Social Distancing, hence government of Ghana’s proactive step to impose a partial restriction on Accra, Kumasi, Tema and Kasoa.
The statement indicated that the initiative by the Peace Centre and its partners was to complement the efforts of the Government to manage or mitigate the economic effects of the lockdown on the less privileged by providing stimulus packages such as food items, water, hand sanitizers and toiletries to the aged, distressed and displaced families.
The Peace Centre according to the statement also seeks to partner with churches, mosques, private and public schools which might be willing to offer their facilities to house street children, head porters (Kayaye) and other displaced families throughout the lockdown period; and also support the frontline health workers with facemasks and hand sanitizers.
The Africa Centre for Peace Building and its partners, therefore, appealed passionately to the general public, civil society organisations, churches, mosques, and individuals to contribute to the project through the donation of food items, water, hand sanitizers and toiletries among others.
Meanwhile, Ghana is under 14 days lockdown after recording 204 cases of COVID-19 with 5 deaths
